BackgroundStress levels are evident among health professionals. However, there are few studies on sensory-based self-care aimed at stress management, self-esteem and subjective well-being in this group of professionals.ObjectiveTo assess the impact of a self-care intervention mediated by the senses on the stress levels, self-esteem and well-being of health professionals in a hospital environment.MethodsA total of 93 health professionals participated in an unblinded clinical trial, randomized into four groups: 1) control (no intervention); 2) Monosensory—daily body moisturizing (DBM) with odorless cream; 3) Bisensory—DBM with scented cream; 4) Multisensory—DBM with scented cream associated with audiovisual material. Participants answered specific questionnaires to assess stress, self-esteem and well-being and cortisol samples were collected at baseline, 15 and 30 days following intervention, and at the 30-day follow-up.ResultsSelf-care was characterized as neglected, with most participants reporting inadequate hours of sleep (74%), irregular physical activity (68%), and inadequate nutrition (45%). Compared to the other groups, the Bisensory group had lower stress on all three assessments (p = 0.017; 0.012; 0.036), a life satisfaction 8% higher at follow-up than at baseline (95% CI: 2% to 15%, p = 0.016), a 10% increase in positive affect (95% CI: 2% to 19%, p = 0.011) and a 12% reduction in negative affect (95% CI: 3% to 21% less, p = 0.014) after 30 days. The Multisensory group showed improvement in self-esteem (p = 0.012) and reduced cortisol (p = 0.036) after 30 days of intervention. The control group showed no changes in the variables studied, except for cortisol: an increase at the 15-day evaluation (denoting higher risk for stress, p = 0.009) and a reduction at follow-up (p = 0.028), which was nevertheless within normal levels.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT02406755

Purpose Indigenous peoples are vulnerable populations that live in remote areas of the Amazon forest with limited access to health-care services. Underreporting and undertreatment of pain is a common event in the general population but little is known about these issues in indigenous peoples. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics and cultural aspects of pain management in five ethnicities of the Brazilian Amazon. Materials and Methods Cross-sectional study carried out with adult indigenous individuals from five ethnicities of the Brazilian Amazon over two scientific expeditions (June–July/2017 and February–March/2019). Pain assessment included etiology, intensity, duration, aggravating and alleviating factors, body location, impact of pain on activities of daily living, and treatment. Results Ninety indigenous individuals with a mean age of 41.42 ± 19.59 years (range 19‒98 years) and median age of 37 years participated in the study. Sixty-four individuals (71.1%) reported experiencing pain at the time of interview with intermittent musculoskeletal pain of strong intensity being the more prevalent (back pain: 45.3%, joint pain: 43.7%) followed by headache (26.5%). The main alleviating factors reported were traditional indigenous medicine (21.0%) and rest (30.0%), and physical exertion was the main aggravating factor (69.0%). Most study participants reported that pain affected their mood, activities of daily living, and sleep and that they used both traditional indigenous medicine (78.0%) and conventional medicine (81.0%) for pain relief. Conclusion Musculoskeletal pain is prevalent among indigenous individuals, affects their quality of life, and is partly attributed to their lifestyle. Cultural aspects mediating the pain experience were observed. Traditional indigenous medicine for pain relief remains partially preserved among the ethnic groups investigated. The findings of this study can help improve the delivery care to these vulnerable populations.

Facing critical situations such as the ones triggered by COVID-19 may take healthcare professionals to confront their psychological resources, which may induce a higher stress level. We aimed to understand the feelings experienced by nurses, physiotherapists, and medical doctors in a field hospital dedicated to patients with COVID-19 in the biggest city of Brazil. Methods: We performed a qualitative study in a state field hospital in São Paulo city, Brazil, in a sample of 25 volunteer healthcare professionals. Participants answered to a sociodemographic electronic survey and were subjected to an individual semi-structured on-site interview. Results: Participants were mostly female (68%), comprised eight nurses, eight physiotherapists, and nine medical doctors, had an average age of 36.8 years, and were professionally experienced. Speech analysis revealed two thematic categories (related to work and assistance in the pandemic) and 11 subcategories: adaptation to the scenario, stressing experience, psychological support, difficulties with workwear, safety with workwear, non-verbal communication, empathy, patient comfort, outstanding experiences, major challenges, and teamwork. Conclusion: Nurses, physiotherapists, and medical doctors' experiences while working in the field hospital were permeated by both positive and negative feelings. Those feelings originated directly from the fear of the unknown when dealing with a new disease without well-established scientific evidence, the use of medical workwear for long periods, and communication and environmental difficulties. In contrast, positive feelings, related to teamwork and empathy, arose and overlapped with the difficulties.